A special parade was staged at Asuncion airport when he returned after finishing sixth in last month's US Masters. So, Paraguay's Carlos Franco is entitled to expect nothing short of a civic reception to mark his two-stroke triumph in the Compaq Classic of New Orleans on Sunday.
With rounds of 66, 69, 68, 66 for a 19-under-par tournament record aggregate of 269, Franco earned top prize of $468,000 for this, his first victory on the US PGA Tour. In the process, he became only the second South American to win in the US, following in the footsteps of the great Roberto de Vicenzo.
It is a wonderful story of a player born into poverty and now set to celebrate his 34th birthday on May 24th with the prospect of millionaire status. Indeed, he is currently buying a house near Florida's Doral Golf Resort.
But he insisted yesterday: "The money is not important. I'm just glad to break through and win in America. I will help my fellow countrymen with the money I've won. Paraguayans are warm in the heart, so I know they are celebrating." Franco added: "Playing in the United States is the greatest move I've made."
His victory also revives memories of a remarkable Thursday at St Andrews in the Dunhill Cup, six years ago. That was when Colin Montgomerie, prior to Scotland's opening match, declared with characteristic tact: "If we can't beat Paraguay, we might as well go home." As it happened, Franco beat Sam Torrance by 7074 and Raul Fretes defeated Montgomerie 74-75 to send the Scots packing by a 2-1 margin.
Fretes was moved to comment afterwards: "I've never been a religious man, but right at this moment, I feel close to God." It has to be said that there was no hint of comparable spirituality in Montgomerie's post-match demeanour.
Angel Franco, who won the 1993 Nike Dominion Open, was the other member of that Paraguayan team. In fact, of the 28 professional golfers in Paraguay's three courses, six are Franco brothers. Carlos, who is designing the country's fourth course, was always the most promising of them and confirmed his potential by winning more than 30 tournaments internationally, five of them on the Japanese tour. These successes earned him a place on the victorious International Team against the US in the President's Cup in Melbourne last December.
The climax of the New Orleans event guaranteed a first-time winner in that the other three leading contenders, Steve Flesch, Harrison Frazar and Eric Booker were also seeking a tour breakthrough. In the event, Franco became the eighth non-American winner on the US Tour so far this season.
Level midway through the backnine with left-hander Flesch, who was runner-up to Lee Westwood last year, Franco achieved a two-shot swing when sinking a seven-foot putt for a birdie three after a brilliant wedge approach from rough to the long 15th.
His play of that hole coincided with a bogey from Flesch at the 14th, where he was twice bunkered. From then on, the Paraguayan strengthened his challenge with three finishing pars in a closing 66. Flesch and Frazar were tied second and Booker was tied fourth.
The event was also notable for the nine-under-par aggregate of Chip Beck, whose career went into freefall towards the end of 1996, leading to a total of only five cuts over the following two seasons. Beck is currently exempted only through his position among the top-50 career money leaders on the USPGA Tour, in which he started this season in 31st position with $6,005,490.
Meanwhile, Franco has now reaped a reward for persistent effort in the US, where his best finish before this season was tied seventh in the 1997 World Series at Firestone. He gained his current exempt status by finishing 36th in last autumn's Qualifying School.
